Charlie's mistake
by yellow 14
Summary: Charlie makes a mistake after drinking to drown his sorrows on Victory Day. Written for for The 'One Night Stand' Competition by E.G. Potter and for HedwigBlack's Weekly Challenge.


Disclaimer: If you believe I own HP, you have another thing coming.

AN: Written for The 'One Night Stand' Competition by E.G. Potter and for HedwigBlack's Weekly Challenge.

Victory Day.

Charlie Weasley hated victory day. It was the anniversary of Harry's victory over Voldemort, over the fall of the Death Eaters and the final destruction of blood-purity ideals as a viable political force in wizarding politics.

It was also the day that Fred had been killed. Other families had lost members of their family but it was Fred whose loss mattered to Charlie, he always felt responsible for his younger siblings.

"You should go," Katie told him with a kiss. "Your family needs you and as I can't get there, at least one of us should go."

"But I'll miss you," he moaned and Katie smiled at him. They both know the real reason why he didn't want to go; she could practically read his mind. She fiddled with her engagement ring.

"I'll come a few days later and we can tell the family about us," she said, giving him a smile that made his heart catch in his mouth. "I'll need you there to help set me up."

"Well…okay then," Charlie said with a grim look, before looking at her and smiling. "But only because it's you asking."

"Yeah, don't go TOO wild without me," she joked and Charlie slipped his feet into a pair of her high heels.

"So what do you think of me wearing these to the celebrations?" he asked with a forced smile and Katie chuckled at his antics.

"Yes, they're wonderful shoes, now take them off before you hurt yourself." She said with a smirk and Charlie laughed.

"Are you sure? Because I think they look pretty good on me?" he said and Katie pretended to bop him on the head. "Okay, I get it. I'll just have to stick with the dress and lipstick."

Katie laughed and leaned forward and kissed him.

"I love you, you crazy Weasley," she said with a smile and he looked her in the eye.

"I love you too, Ring-ring," he replied, using his pet name for her and she laughed.

Two days later, Charlie was sitting at the Victory Day celebrations with a drink in his hand as he watched his mother fuss over a Hermione. So far, it had been a very interesting couple of days. Ron and Hermione had announced that she was pregnant and this was coupled with Ginny's announcement that she was expecting her second child as well. Mum was ecstatic of course she doted on her grandchildren Victoire and James and not for the first time Charlie found himself thinking about his own urge to be a father.

Katie didn't want children and he did, a sticking point in their relationship. More specifically, he wanted children sooner than later and she wanted them later in life.

It was the funeral mass at the end of the day that sent him off down the deep end. He couldn't stand seeing Fred's name on the grave marker, see George's forced smile as Angelina helped him out of the school grounds. Or maybe it was seeing his ever-reliable father break down. Or maybe it was the crowds. He never did like crowds. For whatever reason, Charlie found he couldn't stay any longer at the castle and he drifted away until he ended up in a dingy bar in Hogsmeade

"Another one of them I see," the barman said as he served up a glass of Firewhisky.

"What do you mean 'them'?" Charlie asked angrily and the barkeeper nodded in the direction of a pretty young Indian woman in blue dress robes and a glass of Firewhiskey in her hand.

"One of the mourners who want to get away from it all," the barman told him. "One of those who want to drink themselves senseless. Your liver won't thank you, you know."

"That's none of you s&%%$£g business," Charlie snarled angrily as he took his drink and the barman shook his head.

"That's what she said as well," he said as he walked away.

Charlie sat down with his drink and downed it in one swallow. How could he care about his liver when his little brother, the one he always felt responsible for, was dead? Dead and buried and he hadn't been able to stop him. With a wave of his hand, he ordered another drink. And another. And another. And the more he drank; the more and more morose he grew. And somehow he ended up sitting with the Indian woman the barman had indicated towards earlier.

"I don' know who you are, but back offffff," the woman said through a haze of alcohol and a lazy wave of her hand. I'm bad lushk. Barkeep, another!"

You've had enough," the barman said grimly, before looking over to Charlie. "You too. Go home, you've had enough."

"I still remember!" the woman screamed. "I still remember! I want to forget!"

"I still remember too," Charlie added quietly and the woman gave him a smile.

"Shee? He remembersh. He remembers…" and she collapsed into his arms sobbing her eyes out. "I just want to forget…" she cried. "I want…I want…I want…"

"Come on, I'll see you home," Charlie said as he put a comforting arm around her.

The two of them made a very meandering walk back to her flat and they talk. They both took part in the Battle of Hogwarts. They both hate the crowds and the services on Victory day. Her name was Padma Patil and she had lost her twin sister in the battle and she ran her own apothecary in Hogsmeade, a place that is normally only ten minutes away but in their drunken state takes almost forty.

"You're a good man Charlie Weashley, a good man," Padma said as she opened the door to her apartment. She suddenly pulled him forward and kissed him. "Help me forget. For just a little while. Please?"

"I'm…" he meant to say that he was engaged, but Padma was already removing her robes and the words got lost on the way.

_This is wrong_ his brain screamed at the back of his mind, but as memories of Fred swam to mind, he suddenly stopped caring. Anything to make the pain go away. And with that thought, he followed her upstairs.

**HPHPHPHPHPHP**

Charlie groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. His head was pounding and his mouth felt like cotton wool. And there was a naked woman with long silky-black hair lying on his chest.

Suddenly it hit him with all the force of an express train and he sat up. Padma groaned and looked up, before giving a sudden shriek and she pulled the covers over her.

"Oh Merlin!" she exclaimed, her face colouring with embarrassment. "Oh Gods. I-I-I…"

"Merlin, what have I done!" Charlie exclaimed as he held his head in his hands. He looked up at her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, and I took adva-"

"No I'm sorry," she said, cutting him off mid-sentence. "I was so desperate to stop hurting, just for a little while and I told myself that it was okay but it wa-"

"We're both at fault then," he said sadly as he looked at the floor. "I…"

"I won't say anything," she said as she quickly started getting dressed, refusing to look at him. "It shouldn't have happened and we should just act as though it never did."

"Bu-"

"You should get dressed and go before anyone arrives," she finished, before giving him a small smile. "It did help. For a moment at least. Your fiancé is a lucky woman."

"I don't deserve her," he said morosely and Padma shook her head.

"You made a stupid mistake," she said firmly. "I'm sure she's worth keeping. I KNOW Weasley males are good at that."

"Too good for me really," he continued as he pulled his clothes on. "Goodbye."

"Charlie Weasley, what are you doing here!" a familiar voice asked as he stepped out of Padma's door. Charlie groaned, partially because of his raging hangover, but mainly because he really didn't want to run into his sister-in-law. Especially not leaving the home of another woman.

"What are you doing here Hermione?" he asked and she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm getting my anti-morning sickness potion. But I want to know why you're spending the night with another woman when you're engaged to Katie Bell," she asked, her fierce eyes boring into his.

"How did-"

"I spotted the engagement ring and put two and two together," she told him, cutting him off mid-word. Suddenly her eyes widened in realisation. "You DIDN'T?"

"Hermione I-" he began, but he got no further as Hermione cut him off again.

"You took advantage of a grieving girl to have a quick bit of fun, a one-night stand while you're away from your fiancé?" she said angrily as she stormed right up to his face. "I KNOW how badly losing her sister hurt her. Hell, I think our whole YEAR knew! And you took advantage of her!"

"I was hurting too!" he protested. "It wasn't like we planned this, we were drink and desperate to forget and…" he floundered a bit as he struggled for what to say next.

Hermione gave him one of her patented death glares.

"I should really tell Katie about this, I really should," she growled angrily. "But I've seen the way you two are together and you're perfect for one another. Just don't let it happen again, or I WILL tell her."

"You won't have to," Charlie said miserably. "I'm going to confess and beg for forgiveness."

"You are?"

"Yes. Katie deserves that much at least," Charlie finished grimly. "I hope she forgives me."

"I hope so too," Hermione said with a sympathetic look.

**HPHPHPHPHPHP**

Eight months later.

Charlie hugged Katie tightly as he left her at the hospital doors. He was lucky to still have her, he thought to himself. When he had first confessed to her, she had screamed and cried and ran away from him. But slowly, over time, she began to forgive him. And now he was here, seeing her to the hospital to visit her parents.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" he asked and she shook her head.

"No, it's okay," she replied shaking her head. "This is something I need to do on my own."

"Well okay. I'll see you at The Burrow," he replied, wishing he could do something to make her feel better about the situation. But Katie Bell's parents were dying and there was nothing he could do to help.

"You have things to sort out with Padma too," she pointed out, nodding towards the letter poking out of his pocket.

"Yeah, that too," he admitted, pulling it out and reading the contents once more.

_Dear Charlie,_

_Ordinarily I would not be getting involved with Padma's affairs and I normally wouldn't write to you, but this is serious and she needs your help and I promised myself that I would keep a lookout for Padma after her sister died and if I don't tell you then who will?_

_She told me about your one-night stand and I am disgusted by the way you took advantage of the girl who wanted to bury her grief. That however is not the subject of this letter. The consequences ARE the subject of this letter. She's pregnant. Heavily pregnant with your children. Yes I did say children in the plural. She's having twins, a pair of girls. _

_I know that I might well be hopelessly optimistic about you taking any responsibility, but you Weasley's do seem to be a decent lot so I'll try._

_Yours sincerely_

_Lavender Brown_

"Good luck," she told him and he gave her a small smile and blew her a kiss and apparated away to Hogsmeade and arrived just outside the Hogs Head.

Swallowing hard, he walked up the path and knocked on Padma's door.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Padma said bitterly as she opened the door, her belly swollen with child. Children, Charlie corrected himself.

"If you're here to do the 'right thing' and marry me, the answers no," she said briskly. "I'm not going to force you into a shotgun wedding."

"Bu-"

"No buts, this is the twenty-first century, not the nineteenth," she continued, not looking at him.

"I want to be a part of their lives," Charlie said firmly and Padma smiled at him.

"And I want them to know their father," she said firmly. "We'll have to sort that out somehow."

"I want to support our children!" he protested and she frowned at him.

"I don't need your money Weasley!" she snapped and Charlie frowned back.

"I want to do the right thing," he said firmly and she relented slightly as she sat down heavily.

"Very well then," she said with a look of distaste and Charlie grinned.

"Now for the scariest bit," he told her with a smirk and Padma raised an eyebrow.

"And what's that?" she asked.

"Explaining this to my mum," he finished.


End file.
